The problems of crack, an addictive form of cocaine that is smoked, are inextricably linked with illegal aliens, the agents said.

Not only do some groups of illegal aliens form syndicates to sell drugs, but others so crowd prisons that no room remains for crack dealers.

''We need to have a place to put the people we arrest,'' said Emmett Browning, an investigator with the vice and narcotics squad of the Orlando Police Department.

Said Miami Beach police Chief Ken Glassman, ''Much of our jail space is tied up with illegal aliens, and we think that's a federal problem.''

Referring to the Orlando crack problem, Lt. David Smith of the Orlando Police Department said, ''It's taking over the city.''

Crack addicts frequently become violent, and police have noted a dramatic increase in criminal activity as crack use has become more prevalent.

Along with seven of their colleagues, these officials expressed their views at a press conference called by Sen. Lawton Chiles, D-Fla.

A new law sponsored by Chiles orders the attorney general to develop a national plan within 60 days for dealing with the unique law enforcement problems associated with crack. The Justice Department is expected to unveil its plan by Sept. 3, a Chiles aide said.

Chiles and the Florida police were supposed to meet with Attorney General Edwin Meese, but the meeting was delayed because of a scheduling conflict. The Florida delegation met instead with Meese deputies.

Police described the meeting as a productive session that seemed to go a long way toward educating federal officials about the seriousness of the crack problem.

Meanwhile, Sen. Paula Hawkins, R-Fla., took to the Senate floor to denounce ''space basing,'' a process she described as smoking crack that has been laced with PCP, LSD or heroin.

''It prolongs the rush,'' Hawkins said, explaining the development of the combinations.

Space basing began in New York and Los Angeles, Hawkins said, and is especially insidious.

''One of the dangers from circulating in the world of drug pushers and drug users is that you can be innocently drawn into space basing,'' Hawkins said. ''It is very difficult to detect when cocaine has been treated. Crack bought on the streets can be laced with PCP without the purchaser's knowledge.''

Smith of the Orlando Police Department said he was unaware of space basing. ''Maybe the senator meant free basing or speed balling,'' he said. ''I'm not familiar with that terminology. Of course, drug terminology changes rapidly. At any rate, space basing is not a problem in Central Florida. What we're seeing now is crack.''